{{short description|Palestinian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Ahmad Al-Qaq | image = | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|4|5|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Hackensack, New Jersey]], [[United States|USA]] | height = 1.85m | position = [[Midfielder]] | currentclub = [[Sporting Club Jacksonville|Sporting JAX]] | clubnumber = 11 | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = PSA Stars | youthyears2 = 2016–2019 | youthclubs2 = [[NC Fusion]] | collegeyears1 = 2020–2024 | college1 = [[North Carolina Tar Heels men's soccer|North Carolina Tar Heels]] | collegecaps1 = 47 | collegegoals1 = 6 | years1 = 2021 | clubs1 = [[Tobacco Road FC]] | caps1 = 10 | goals1 = 2 | years2 = 2022 | clubs2 = [[Wake FC]] | caps2 = 6 | goals2 = 1 | years3 = 2025 | clubs3 = [[North Carolina FC]] | caps3 = 24 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2026– | clubs4 = [[Sporting Club Jacksonville|Sporting JAX]] | caps4 = 0 | goals4 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2025– | nationalteam1 = [[Palestine national football team|Palestine]] | nationalcaps1 = 5 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | club-update = 22:00, 16 November 2025 (UTC) | ntupdate = 22:00, 16 November 2025 (UTC) | medaltemplates = }}
'''Ahmad Al-Qaq''' ({{langx|ar|أحمد القاق}}; born 25 April 2002) is a professional [[Association football|footballer]] who plays as a [[midfielder]] for [[USL Championship]] club [[Sporting Club Jacksonville|Sporting JAX]]. Born in the [[United States]], he plays for the [[Palestine national football team|Palestine national team]].
==Club career== Al-Qaq is a product of the youth academies of the American clubs PSA Stars and [[NC Fusion]]. In 2020 he committed to college at [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]], and joined their collegiate team [[North Carolina Tar Heels men's soccer|Tar Heels]], where he scored 6 goals in 47 appearances.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://footballpalestine.substack.com/p/who-is-ahmad-al-qaq|title=Who is Ahmad Al-Qaq?|first=Football|last=Palestine|date=19 May 2025}}</ref> In 2021, he had a short stint with [[USL League Two]] side [[Tobacco Road FC]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/roster/show/6155355?subseason=731558|title=Tobacco Road FC | uslleaguetwo.com|website=www.uslleaguetwo.com}}</ref> In 2023, he returned to the USL League Two on another short stint with [[Wake FC]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/roster_players/55418407|title=Wake FC - 2022 Regular Season - Roster - # - Ahmed Al-Qaq -|website=www.uslleaguetwo.com}}</ref> On 18 February 2025, he signed a professional one-year contract with [[North Carolina FC]] in the [[USL Championship]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/north-carolina-fc-signs-midfielder-ahmad-al-qaq/n-6192447|title=North Carolina FC Signs Midfielder Ahmad Al-Qaq|date=18 February 2025|website=OurSports Central}}</ref>
On January 22, 2026, [[USL Championship]] expansion club [[Sporting Club Jacksonville]], commonly known as Sporting JAX, announced Al-Qaq had joined their inaugural roster.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Sporting JAX Staff |title=Sporting JAX Adds Three Former Teammates |url=https://www.sportingjax.com/news/2026/01/22/sporting-jax-adds-three-former-teammates/ |website=SportingJAX.com |publisher=Sporting Club Jacksonville |access-date=23 January 2026 |date=22 January 2026}}</ref>
==International career== Al-Qaq was born in the United States to Palestinian parents. He was called up to the [[Palestine national football team|Palestine national team]] for a set of [[2026 FIFA World Cup qualification]] matches in June 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/kuwaits-world-cup-dreams-are-on-the-line-against-palestine/|title=Kuwait’s World Cup dreams are on the line against Palestine|date=4 June 2025|website=arabtimes}}</ref> He debuted with Palestine in a 3–0 loss to [[Basque Country national football team|Basque Country]] on 15 November 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rfi.fr/fr/sports/20251116-football-%C3%A9mouvant-premier-match-en-europe-pour-l-%C3%A9quipe-de-palestine-accueillie-par-les-basques|title=Football: émouvant premier match en Europe pour l'équipe de Palestine, accueillie par les Basques|date=16 November 2025|website=RFI}}</ref>
==Personal life== Al-Qaq graduated from the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] with a graduate degree in [[neuroscience]] in 2022, and a postgraduate M/S degree in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://goheels.com/news/2022/11/22/mens-soccer-four-mens-soccer-players-earn-academic-all-district-honors|title=Four Men’s Soccer Players Earn Academic All-District Honors|website=University of North Carolina Athletics}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2024/02/26/acc-to-honor-51-student-athletes-with-postgraduate-scholarship-recognition/|title=ACC to Honor 51 Student-Athletes with Postgraduate Scholarship Recognition|date=26 February 2024|website=University of Miami Athletics}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerway|new_id=al-qaq-ahmad/lMMZFZ2K}} *[https://goheels.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/ahmad-al-qaq/26061 North Carolina Tar Heels Profile]
{{Sporting Club Jacksonville squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Al-Qaq, Ahmad}} [[Category:2002 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Hackensack, New Jersey]] [[Category:Palestinian men's footballers]] [[Category:Palestine men's international footballers]] [[Category:American men's soccer players]] [[Category:American people of Palestinian descent]] [[Category:Sportspeople of Palestinian descent]] [[Category:Men's association football midfielders]] [[Category:North Carolina Tar Heels men's soccer players]] [[Category:Tobacco Road FC players]] [[Category:North Carolina FC players]] [[Category:Sporting Club Jacksonville players]] [[Category:USL Championship players]] [[Category:USL League Two players]] [[Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni]] [[Category:21st-century Palestinian sportsmen]] [[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]